Light and different mediums

[gkangelexa]

When light waves travel from one medium (air) to the next (water), their velocity changes. Does their frequency change also? Or does the wavelength change?

 

[tiny-tim]

hi gkangelexa!

the frequency stays the same

(otherwise they wouldn't "join up" properly at the interface )​

 

[Dotini]

Doesn't white light, upon entering a prism, break into colors according to frequency?

Respectfully,
Steve

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi Steve!

Yup, but the colours are already there (as good ol' Sir Isaac showed ) …

the colours stay the same, but their speeds change, so they go through at different angles, and become separated.​

 

[rwisz]

When light waves travel from one medium to another, their velocity changes due to differences in the refractive index of the two mediums. This change in velocity can affect the wavelength and frequency of the light waves.

The frequency of a light wave, which is the number of wave cycles per second, remains constant as it travels from one medium to another. This means that the frequency of light does not change when it moves from air to water.

However, the wavelength of the light wave does change when it moves from one medium to another. The wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs of the wave. As the velocity of the light wave changes, the wavelength also changes to maintain the constant frequency.

In general, when light travels from a less dense medium, such as air, to a more dense medium, such as water, its velocity decreases and its wavelength decreases as well. This is known as a decrease in wavelength or blue shift. On the other hand, when light travels from a more dense medium to a less dense medium, its velocity increases and its wavelength increases, known as an increase in wavelength or red shift.

In summary, the frequency of light remains constant when it travels between different mediums, but the wavelength changes to accommodate the change in velocity. This phenomenon is important in understanding how light behaves and is essential in various scientific fields such as optics, astronomy, and telecommunications.